Mayor London Breed Announces Gun Buy-Back Event
Mayor Breed, San Francisco Police Department, United Playaz, and community organizations will host a gun buy-back event in SoMa, this Saturday, December 14th from 8:00am until 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed, Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember David Chiu, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), and United Playaz today held a press conference to promote United Playaz 9th Gun Buyback event this Saturday, December 14th. The semi-annual gun buy-back event provides a place for people to turn in their weapons, no questions asked, and get guns off the streets and out of communities.
Gun Buy-Back Event
United Playaz
1038 Howard St., San Francisco, CA
Saturday, December 14, 2019
8:00am – 12:00pm
“We’ve made great progress reducing gun-related violence in San Francisco, but any loss of life or injury from guns is unacceptable and has to stop,” said Mayor Breed. “We all have to work together to save lives and keep our communities safe. Events like this one are important because they provide a place for people to get guns out of their homes safely and legally.”
The San Francisco Police Department and United Playaz host gun buyback events at least twice per year. Following collection of the firearms, they are melted down and the parts are recycled to create jewelry and other goods that are sold to finance future gun buy-back events. United Playaz is a violence prevention and youth development organization that has worked in San Francisco for over 20 years.
“Through collaborations with community partners such as United Playaz, we’ve had great success preventing bloodshed in our communities,” said SFPD Chief William Scott. “Whether it’s gun violence on our streets or accidental discharges in our homes, these buy-backs help make San Francisco safer for everyone, particularly our families and youth.”
“United Playaz hosts these gun buy backs to show the relevance of our mission statement: ‘It takes the hood to save the hood,’” said Rudy Corpuz, Jr., Founder and Executive Director of United Playaz.
The Gun Buy-Back program has operated since 2014 and has collected over 1,000 guns. People can turn in their guns in exchange for $100 for a handgun and $200 for assault weapons. Funding for the gun buy-back was provided by philanthropic donations and a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development.
Violent crime, particularly gun violence, dropped significantly in 2018. The findings from the SFPD’s 2018 CompStat Profile reflect progress from a number of new initiatives spearheaded by the SFPD and Mayor Breed, including increased foot patrols, hiring more officers, and stabilizing neighborhoods that experience a higher level of crime. The 2018 CompStat Profile shows that compared to 2017: homicides decreased 18 percent; homicides by firearms decreased 37 percent; non-fatal shooting incidents decreased 30 percent; and aggravated assaults decreased three percent. In 2018, the SFPD seized 1,276 firearms, a 25 percent year-over-year increase.
SFPD’s 2019 CompStat Profile will be released early next year.
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